“Who Brought Transvestite Fashion to Brazil”?: Theaters, hormones and subjectivities (1950-1960).

Abstract

This article is about historical subjective possibilities of/in the universe of transvestites between the 1950s and 1960s. As announced in the title, the central question is to question and problematize “‘Who brought the transvestite fashion to Brazil’?” This question arises from a reflection on the title of an article present in the 75th edition of Revista Manchete (RJ), published on September 26, and which presents Ivaná as a central piece, this, an important and famous transformist artist of the period in Brazil. From the inquiry, the possibility of thinking and questioning the phenomenon recognized as transvestites in the space of the theater stages and the emergence of a new transvestite subjectivity forged from aesthetic-body modifications through the ingestion of hormones will be created. Therefore, I ask, what would be a “transvestite fashion” – as proposed by the aforementioned magazine. Something fleeting? Would this be the meaning offered by the press? Maybe yes. However, I emphasize that, in addition to hormones, friendship networks established in spaces of sociability such as nightclubs and theaters were of great importance for the constitution of desires, exchanges, dreams, negotiations that made possible the emergence of historical transvestite subjectivities over the decades. of the 1950's and 1960's.